Shipping Container Housing is Booming

The ‘tiny house’ movement has been exploding in recent years. Minimalists and eco-philes alike have been flocking to these small living spaces to cut back on their environmental impact and save a few dollars. But recently, the movement has begun to change its mantra and is moving towards even more sustainable building practices. Enter: the shipping container.

Why Shipping Container Housing

One of the whole points of the ‘tiny house’ movement is to make your environmental impact as low as possible. Small 400-500 square foot housing units were made to look exactly like houses using wood, brick, or stone, and then placed onto a lot. But there has long been a space for living that has not been exploited. Shipping containers are there: they’ve already been built, the materials used, and are already formed into a rectangular space. When these containers are retired, they are usually discarded in scrapyards, but now, people are buying them up to use for all sorts of purposes. They can be easily outfitted to be made livable, and given that intimate, minimalist lifestyle that so many people are looking for.

How to Do Shipping Container Housing

If you already own a plot of land, it may be as easy as modifying the shipping container and having it made livable. Inserting a kitchen, a sleeping area, and a bath area can turn the once boring box into a minimalist’s paradise. But, if this seems a little far-fetched, there have been hundreds of shipping container buildings and apartment complexes that have gone up around the U.S. in the last few years. Mostly used for student housing at universities, these shipping container apartments are becoming extremely popular. Just down I-10 in Huntsville, Texas, Jack Wagamon and Tina Felder have created a living space out of 36 separate units, making 24 different living spaces at 540 square feet a piece. It is right down the street from Sam Houston State University, and is expected to be open for rent in August of this year.

Whatever you want to do with your shipping container, whether it’s housing, storage, a pool, or a garden, we here at Saf-T-Box can make it happen. Check out our variety of services, and see your shipping container dreams become a reality.